Audiovestibular involvement in Behcet’s Disease (in patients with disease duration of more than 5 years).

Abstract: Introduction: We have previously shown that audio vestibular involvement is not frequent in early Behcet's disease (BD) at the time of diagnosis. This study was designed to clarify ­the frequency of audio vestibular involvement in patients with more chronic disease.
Materials 8 Methods: We studied 60 BD patients with a disease duration of at least 5 years Patients were compared in a prospective study, to 28 controls (age and sex matched). A complete ENT clinical examination, pure tone audiometry (including high frequency speech and impedance) and electronystagmography was performed for all of them. There was no significant difference between the two groups in their past history of head or noise trauma. ear infections. endocrine diseases and positive family history. However BD patients had more frequently used ototoxic drugs (p<0.02).
Results: The mean age of the patients was 28.5 + 8.2 years, and the range of disease duration was 5 to 23 years. High tone frequency (10-12 Hertz) hearing loss was detected in 68% of BD group versus (Vs) 24% in control group (p<0.05). It was of sensorineural type, so the typical audiagram of BD patients is of high tone hearing loss type. Speech audiography showed that it is of cochlear type. The frequency of hearing lass was directly related to the disease duration (45% in disease duration ranged 5 to 10 years. 87% in 10-15 years and 100% in more than 15 years). Dizziness was present in only 9 patients (15%). and ENG showed central vestibular involvement in 8 (2 of them had CNS involvement).
Conclusion: Hearing loss is frequent in BD. It is of high tone type and related to the disease duration Vestibular involvement in BD is not frequent and is mainly due to central vestibular pathway involvement.